“How old is your younger sister?”

“She is twenty-one years old, two years younger than me.”

Julia reached out and grabbed Lena’s chin, looking into her eyes.

“Do you happen to work as a courtesan in that place, Oro Alley?”

The frightened black eyes revealed bewilderment, but there was no hypocrisy.

“No. I am doing needlework at Alice’s Costume Shop.”

The carriage arrived at the Leak ducal residence.

“Good. Fortunately, you don’t take after your father. Get off for now.”

Julia took Lena to the bedroom.

“You’re fired.”

“What?”

Julia opened the console next to the bed and took out a bag of gold bars. She gave Lena five gold bars from what she had frequently taken out and collected from the secret passage of Duke Leak.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“Use this to move out for now and get treatment for your mother’s illness.”

The maid Lena sat down at Julia’s feet, knelt down, and bowed her head.

“La-Lady.”

“Go to the imperial palace and find Princess Carolina. I will write a letter of recommendation for the position of Princess Tane’s maid. Send your sister to fill your vacant position.”

“Lady. Mina has no experience as a maid.”

“That’s why I’m sending you to the imperial palace. I need to keep your sister by my side.”

Lena had a feeling that the young lady would order her to do something bad. She had to refuse, but she bit her lip, thinking of the gold in front of her and her mother lying in bed, complaining of pain.

“Remember, Lena. You’re the only one I can trust. When I remove Princess Tane from His Majesty’s side and enter the palace, you will become the head maid.”

Lena was surprised again at the words “head maid,” but she didn’t think it was a completely absurd or impossible thing, as she had always believed that Julia would marry the emperor.

“Now, go and pack your bags. There won’t be any difficult tasks. When there is work, I will give instructions through your sister.”

Lena understood the meaning of what Julia was saying and had a vague idea of what kind of work she would be taking on. She gripped the heavy gold bars on her knees defiantly.

“Lady Julia. Your grace is as deep as the sea.”

Lena took the hand Julia held out with both hands and kissed the back of her hand, pledging obedience.

The time for an afternoon nap.

Nanny Eva, who was hemming the hem of a muslin dress, yawned and went to take a nap. Maid Annie, who was watching Eva’s back, pushed the sewing aside and leaned on the table.

Patricia, who was copying a history book at the desk by the window of the multipurpose room, looked up at the sky outside the window.

A white eagle with a yellow beak flew close to Patricia’s window at the expected time and slowly circled in the air.

Bree.

It was a signal that Patrick was waiting.

Patricia tiptoed past the sleeping Annie, who was snoring, so as not to wake her up and left the multipurpose room.

Patricia crossed the west tower garden, leaned on the railing, and looked down. Patrick and Eden were standing between the shrubbery forest and the west tower, craning their necks to look up.

Patricia waved her hand, pulled out a brick at the end of the railing wall, and unfurled a rope rolled up on an iron nail driven into the wall.

She grabbed the rope and jumped down.

She occasionally touched the reddish-brown bricks and the places covered with ivy vines with the tips of her feet. Finally, she stepped on the wall where red roses were in full bloom and landed on the ground.

“Wow, it’s always cool to see you, Risha.”

Patricia grabbed the reins of the black horse that Patrick was holding and got on the horse.

“Eden. What’s on the menu for lunch today?”

When Eden recited sandwiches with eggs and bacon, oranges and prunes, cheese, and lemon soda, Patrick ran through.

“Daffodils by the lake and a handful of sunshine, and the laughter of a beautiful lady, a lively breeze. Isn’t that enough for lunch?”

“What? You called me a beautiful lady. I don’t like being called a lady, you know.”

“Hahaha, Risha’s sharp voice is like refreshing lemon soda.”

The three of them rode through the Petra oak forest. At the fork in the road, they turned towards the lake.

The lake was visible through the olive trees with lush green leaves. The surface of the lake sparkled in the light as if it had been finely ground and sprinkled with golden sunshine.

Patrick’s complexion turned pale from riding a horse while exposed to the sunlight.

“Patrick, are you okay?”

“I’m dizzy.”

Eden spread out the picnic spot. They ate their lunch in the shade of an ash tree. After eating, they sat leaning against the ash tree and looked out at the lake.

Eden went down to the lakeshore and skipped stones on the surface of the water with pebbles.

The stones created ripples and disappeared. When the ripples subsided, the surface sparkled with light again.

“Are you sleeping, Patrick?”

Patrick’s head gently touched Patricia’s shoulder.

“I’m happy, Patricia.”

The angle of the sun tilted, and the light that had been sparkling on the surface of the water was reflected.

“Patrick, it’s dazzling.”

“Princess. Wake up.”

“It’s dazzling.”

Eva drew the curtains of the carriage window. The afternoon light lingering on Patricia’s eyelids was blocked.

“Where are we?”

Patricia stretched.

“We’ve been in the capital for quite a while.”

“I had a dream.”

“Did you have a nightmare?”

Eva gathered Patricia’s long, golden hair and lifted it up. She wiped her neck with a damp cloth.

“No, I saw the happiest time.”

“That’s a relief.”

Eva put her hand in her wide skirt, took out a pocket, and unfolded it. She took out a handful of coins, opened the carriage window, and tossed the coins out.

“For the dream of our Risha Princess!”

Patricia was startled by Eva’s sudden shouting, then giggled.

The Tanein people considered the unconscious and dreams important.

When sleeping, the gateway to the unconscious, they placed their heads facing east, the direction where the sun rises. They made beds and pillows from palm trees, which were said to provide longevity and rest.

They predicted the day’s fortune through dreams. If they had a nightmare or a bad dream, they would cancel their plans and appointments as much as possible and refrain from going out.

When they had a good dream, they would throw coins on the street as a price for the dream. If they had no money, they would scatter grains toward the sky. In that way, they paid the price of dreams to the poor or the wild birds.

The good dream was true. It was the happiest spring of her life.

Eva pulled back the curtain and pointed far away with her index finger.

“Princess. That looks like Karsik Palace.”

The carriage was going up a high terrain and down a slope.

“It’s magnificent.”

Part of Karsik Palace was revealed as the place Eva pointed to was located below.

Through the low forest, grand buildings and large and small spires were visible. On both sides of the metasequoia-lined street, which was well over ten miles long, several gardens and fountains were neatly arranged.

“Princess. Are you nervous?”

“No, why?”

“Aren’t you trembling?”

“Eva, you know. Since I was thirteen, I’ve been going to the battlefield wearing armor. Death always sits on my shoulders, so I’m not afraid of it.”

“Still, this is an unfamiliar foreign country.”

“It’s not like Tanei was a place I was attached to.”

“You will soon meet His Majesty the Emperor of Karsik. Is he as handsome as Prince Patrick said?”

“I think so.”

“According to His Highness, he is also faithful, upright, and attentive in personality.”

“That’s Patrick’s opinion.”

“What did you think, Princess?”

“Rude and arrogant.”

“Well, you were a prisoner then. Now that you are his fiancée, wouldn’t it be a bit different?”

“Well, I’ll know when I experience it. By the way, Eva. Let’s think of a way to quickly find the pharmacy in Oro Alley when we arrive at the palace.”

“Yes, I will.”

Patricia and Eva went to the temple on Mount Hesperos under the pretext of consecrating a palm tree bed.

Amir sent the knights out of the temple for the palm tree consecration.

When she was alone with Amir, Patricia showed the medicine Patrick’s imperial physician had made.

After examining the medicine, Amir said it seemed to contain poisonous herb ingredients. However, he said he could not make an antidote for this poison.

He said there was Amir who was good at handling antidote herbs, but it had been a long time since she went missing as a wandering blind beggar after losing her eyes and tongue.

He didn’t know Amir’s whereabouts, but he informed her that Amir’s father ran a pharmacy in Oro Alley at the foot of Mount Kao in Lisbon, the capital of Karsik.

Patrick was dependent on the addictive imperial medicine. Patricia told Eden what Amir said and instructed him not to force Patrick to take the medicine.

‘Patrick cannot recover his health in Tanei, absolutely not.’

Patricia was going to ask the Emperor of Karsik to bring Patrick here for now.

“Princess. Shall I touch up your makeup?”

Annie, the young maid sitting next to Eva, asked, showing a mirror and a powder case.

“No, it’s fine.”

When passing through the main gate of Karsik Palace while receiving salutes from the uniformed security battalion, the trumpeters lined up on both sides raised their long trumpets toward the sky and blew them in unison.

The metasequoia-lined street felt longer in reality than when seen from afar.

“Annie, please touch up my makeup.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Annie gave Patricia a mirror decorated with a silver rim and opened the powder case. She scooped powder onto the velvet cloth and applied it with her index finger to her white cheeks, delicate jawline, and pointed nose.

She opened a small circular container, dipped her little finger in the pink rose-crushed pigment, and rubbed it along the outline of Patricia’s lips.

She tilted a bottle of rose extract fragrance, dropped it on the back of her hand, and rubbed it with her middle finger behind Patricia’s ears, on the protruding bones of her neck, collarbones, and the inside of her wrist where blood vessels were visible.

She held up the mirror to show Patricia’s face, then put away the makeup materials she had laid out.

Eva put on lace gloves and spread out the skirt of the creamy white lace-filled dress when the carriage stopped.

“Your Majesty. The princess and her entourage have entered the palace.”

The chief attendant entered the office and announced.

Harchen closed the documents he had laid out and stood up from his desk. He turned his body, looked down at the White Palace garden below the window, inhaled, and slowly exhaled.

He had developed a habit of looking down at the garden where the princess had not even set foot.

Harchen picked up his gloves and left the office. He went out to the corridor and descended the central staircase.

The royal guard lined up in ceremonial uniforms in front of the fountain spraying water, the garden with rose vines. Farther away, the street lined with metasequoias stretching on both sides.

The princess’s procession had not yet come into view. Lean and Calip, who had changed into white royal guard ceremonial uniforms, followed behind.

Harchen crossed the central hall while putting on his gloves. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked far away.

A procession of carriages running through the lined street and between the neat gardens came into view.

You must be tired from the long journey. I have waited a long time, Princess. Princess, I missed you.

Harchen pondered over various greetings. He descended the stairs slowly without rushing. He passed between the lined-up royal guard.

“The Princess of Tanei has arrived.”

The chief attendant shouted, then opened the carriage door, and the emperor approached and held out his hand.

Patricia fixed her gaze on the gold-plated buttons densely symmetrical on the uniform top as she took the emperor’s hand with her lace-gloved hand.

Harchen bowed his upper body and frowned as he saw the princess stepping down from the carriage footboard. The front line of the dress was deep, and he ended up seeing her cleavage.

The emperor, holding Patricia’s hand, stopped for a moment.

He soon squeezed her hand tightly. Patricia’s slender finger bones felt like they would crumble. Patricia looked up at him in surprise.

“You’re here, Princess.”

Harchen bowed his head further and whispered in Patricia’s ear.

“Wear your dress modestly in the Karsik Empire.”